Parise's hat trick powers Wild past Flames

Zach Parise didn't waste any time to get the Wild out in front of the Flames. He scored all 3 of the Wild's 1st period goals.

It was Parise's 3rd hat trick this season. He became the fastest Wild player to score 3 goals, passing Marian Gaborik's old mark. He also became the first Wild player to score three goals in one period. So not too bad a game for the Wild's star forward.

The Wild will need their key players to step up regularly if they want to make the playoffs. This battle for the final wild card spot with the Colorado Avalanche will go down to the last game if it continues like this. With the win, Minnesota moved ahead of the Avalanche by 3 points, but the Avalanche are currently playing so we will have to wait and see what happens in their game.

Here is the hat trick, courtesy of NHL.com: